Panda bears, college athletes deemed 'nonessential' personnel during government shutdown

More than 800,000 federal employees have been furloughed without pay during the U.S. government shutdown. That’s a very serious matter because it means nearly 1 million hard-working Americans are losing earning opportunities they may never recoup.

However, not all the repercussions of the federal shutdown threaten to inflict irreparable harm. In that vein, here are a couple of examples of shuttered federal functions unlikely to result in gnashing of teeth:

No more Panda cam: “The government shutdown has claimed one of its most beloved casualties: the National Zoo's panda cam,” Gregory Wallace reported for CNNMoney. “ The Smithsonian Institution was required to shutter many nonessential programs during the shutdown, including the (National Zoo).

“(The zoo) said it would staff around-the-clock care of the animals. (It) normally relies on a mix of staff and volunteers to tend to the animals and serve its 2 million annual visitors. But volunteers aren't allowed to keep the main gates open, since all government agencies are barred from allowing employees to volunteer in the event of a shutdown.”

College sports on hold: USA Today’s Thomas O’Toole wrote Tuesday, “The Department of Defense has suspended all intercollegiate athletics competitions at all three academies, including West Point. For example, Tuesday night's Navy-Howard soccer game has been canceled.

“The suspensions of athletics will last through the government shutdown. If the shutdown is going to extend through the weekend, then the Navy-Air Force game would be postponed, a person with knowledge of the decision process told USA Today Sports. The person requested anonymity because they were not cleared to speak publicly.”